Past and Present
by AkoMeiChan
Summary: Have the Royal Arria Family fallen apart? Formerly known as 'Children of the Moon.' Please R


**Tomas **

I'm sniffling. It's my birthday.

Mommy, Daddy and Thrax died on my birthday.

Today hurts.

It's the first time Dulcea forgot my birthday. She's really nice to me most of the time. She always takes care of me on birthdays, 'cause she knows I miss my family. She always has.

During the other birthdays, I didn't think about my family, because she planned a whole day of activities which kept me busy. I miss those birthdays right now.

I'm four hundred years old. I don't grow because my body's dead, or at least feels dead, but I know I'm four hundred. I don't know why she's forgotten it but I haven't. I like them. Birthdays are so much fun. There's a party with yummy fruit and songs. Dulcea tells me the Birthday Story about the universe's first birthday, even though I'm not sure why everything had to blow up at first. But explosions are cool, so I don't care.

I finish climbing into my hideout, wondering if Mom and Dad would tell me any Birthday Story. I don't think Tallians do that. They do something else for birthdays. I forget what, though.

I pick up the pretty shining charm bracelet, the only thing I have to remember Mom and Dad, and close my fist around it. It feels like I've been around here forever and not a hundred years.

I remember everything about that day, every single thing.

I was three hundred years old. I couldn't say 'th' yet—I kept calling Thrax 'Tax'. He didn't mind and used to laugh with me when I said it.

I remember the Palace, big and beautiful, with lots of hideouts where I could play or sit and be angry or sad, even if Mom eventually found me. I remember that morning…that morning I found Mom's mask.

I was playing in her room and saw the mask. It looked like a tiger so I snatched it up, put it on and ran out screaming happily.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Daddy nodded at me over his scroll. "Uh-huh. Hi, Tomas. What're you up to?"

"Daddy! I'm a tiger! Look at me!"

Daddy puts his scroll down, smiling. Lord Zedd, Emperor of Tallia, was workaholic, but Daddy always found a way to play with me because he loved me. "So I see." He swung me up while I squealed and giggled. "So what's my little tiger gonna do today?"

"Zedd! Thrax!" Mom called. "Have either of you seen my mask? I need it to finish my costume, the ball's tonight!"

She walked in and saw me. "Finally I found it. Why am I not surprised?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

I jumped down, growling. "Roar! I'm a tiger Mommy! You gotta run!"

"Oh no," Mommy said, laughing. "Save me Zedd."

"Mmm, maybe I should let the tiger eat you." Daddy said, returning to his scroll. "Then we can tell Eltar to cancel the negotiations."

"Honestly, darling, no matter what happens, they can't attack us. We're the most powerful planet in the galaxy besides them." Mommy said. "Don't worry, I didn't become Empress by playing games, you know."

Boring. "Mommy! Daddy!" I reminded them. "I'm gonna eat you!" I jumped on Mommy, who caught me expertly, taking my mask off.

"How about Daddy plays with you while I go get ready for the ball?"

"Moommy!" I complained.

Daddy laughed. "Come on, buddy. Wanna make cookies?"

"Cookies!" I jumped on Daddy.

"Guess that's a yes." Daddy chuckled. "C'mon, Thrax, wanna help?"

"Yeah! C'mon Tax!" I cheered.

"Sure." Thrax said idly. "Let's make cookies."

I'm sniffling again. Ick. Boys don't cry, I recall Zordon saying so, even if I haven't seen him in a long long time.

Thrax and I never cried. We didn't have to, we were a happy family.

I shut my eyes and hold onto the charm bracelet, cuddling it to my heart. I really really miss them. And I wish I could give Mom her charm bracelet back.

I look at it. It's red with a black stripe, just like Mom's dress…

Thrax told me a story, but didn't want to sleep. One of the servants—I thought he was new, I hadn't met him before and I knew who the servants were because they kept me from playing with knives when Mom and Dad weren't around—brought us dinner in my room. Mommy and Daddy were at an important ball. Thrax and I were having a 'party'.

I wanted to see the ball, though. So even though I was sleepy, I stayed up until Thrax was asleep, then went downstairs.

Ralphie stayed with me. Ralphie always stayed with me. I pulled him out and showed him the ball. "Look Ralphie! That's Mommy dancing with Daddy! She looks like a tiger, doesn't she? And Daddy a yawn." I giggle. "No, he looks like a really pretty cat! A…A panter!"

"And who's this?" Dulcea was dressed as a star, shimmering with pretty sequins. "Well, well, the little Prince is out of bed."

"Enough, Dulcea. Leave my son alone." Mommy said. "Tomas, go back to bed." A charm bracelet fell off her wrist, a pretty one.

"Why, Rita, you can't possibly be worried about Tomas. He's just a child." Dulcea said as I slid to the floor to pick it up. It was really pretty. I yawned again. I was feeling very sleepy.

"Dulcea, please. Enjoy the party, and let my son get his rest. He's too young to be up late." Mommy replied.

"But, my dear, certainly he'd like to hear our discussions. Three hundred years old, isn't he? In most races, he'd be an old man!" Dulcea laughed. "The little one most surely like to know why he won't play with our Eltarian Diplomat's children again."

"That's nothing for him to worry about." Mommy tells her. I look at the charm bracelet again. Ooh, there are swirly patterns. I like swirlies. "Wars aren't fit for little children's ears."

I see Thrax coming hastily towards me. He grabbed me from the arm, fuming. "Tomas, you come with me! We're not supposed to come here!"

"If you aren't with us, my dear, you're against us." Dulcea said softly.

"With you? What do you mean, with you? We're a planet of healers!" Mom snarled. "This war is none of our business!"

"Then I'm sorry, my dear. Your son will miss you." I should have known what those words meant at that time.

I'm clenching the charm bracelet tightly that I can't feel my fingers.

Thrax pulled me away, back to my room. "That's why we were having a party on our own, you silly. Don't go out there again, you hear me?"

"Nope!" I chirped happily, giggling as Thrax's eyes glowed dark violet with annoyance. "Kay, kay. Gonna stay in here." I pouted. "Don' wanna stay. I wanna watch Mommy. She looks like a tiger, Tax! And Daddy's a panter!"

"Panther!" Thrax flopped down on the bed. "Do I get to sleep tonight, or are you gonna keep bugging me, squirt?"

The lights went out. And with that, my life.

I remember the pain after that night, the iron collar that hurt. Dulcea saving me from it and taking me home.

Since then, she helped me to recover from that unpleasant experience. And even though I think I have a mommy now, I miss them.

I open my fist and touch telekinetically all the charms, making them swirl.

Out of the blue, a charm of a pair of stars starts showing a hologram video, featuring Dad rocking me gently in his arms, a few days before my first birthday.

I catch sight of the charm of a bear, and suddenly, play the floury war between Thrax and me. We were covered in flour, chuckling maniacally and still throwing a handful of flour at each other.

At last, I focus my telekinetic power to the charm of a heart. It performs me and Mommy having our weekly dance class.

I'm sobbing. My family doesn't exist.

I can barely remember their voices. And if it wouldn't be for the bracelet, I would barely recall their appearances.

Mom's charm bracelet is the only thing I care about.

"Tomas!"

I poke my head out, wiping my eyes with my hands. "Hi, Dulcea!"

"Where are…oh there you are!" Dulcea smiles at me. "Come out of there, my little princeling. I have a surprise for you!"

A birthday surprise! She hasn't forgotten it after all! I jump out of my hideout, excited and clutching the lucky charm. "Really? What is it?"

"Me."

Zordon stands on a ledge. "Zordon!" I grin. "I missed you! Are you gonna play catch with me again?"

Zordon laughs. "Perhaps later." He looks at Dulcea and says something in Eltarian. I think it means 'did he really think the physical tests were games?'

"Of course, darling." Dulcea says. "He's a child. What else would he think? Children are…" Huh? I don't know that word, it might mean 'stupid', but that's silly. Dulcea knows I'm not stupid.

"Never mind then," Zordon says. "Come here, Tomas. We are going to send you home."

Home? "To Mom and Dad?" I ask eagerly.

Zordon pats my cot. "Not quite. To somewhere else, a peaceful place. Now, come here. You will need to sleep for the transition."

I don't want to go near that. I shake my head, pressing myself against Dulcea. Something's wrong, really wrong. "No. I wanna stay here."

"Now, my little princeling." Dulcea coos, her voice far too sweet. "You don't want to wear the collar again, do you?"

"No!" No, no more collar. I can't work right when I wear the collar, I have to do whatever they say.

"Then go lay down."

"Will it hurt me?"

"Calm down." Dulcea rubs my back soothingly.

It's not that hard to start walking. Just hard not to stop. "I want to go home!" I whisper, curling up on the cot.

It's my last thought while falling away into sleep moments before the light blue laser connects with my forehead.


End file.
